The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-03
JOLLY FOR JOHN JONES.
HIS JURY RETURN A VERDICT OF
ASSAULT AND BATTERY.
Comments OF Surprise and the
judges Explanati0n-A Lost
Opportunity.

Assault and battery was the verdiC
returned by the John Jones Jury yes
terdsy morning. The defendant wal
on trial for fatally,shooting another
colored man, named Henry Buford, In
row over q game Of craps one bright
Sunday morning last October. He had
been tried twice before, with white
panels, and disagreement was the re.
suit. In an endeavor to bring the vex'
atious case to q termination the State
suggested that jury OF Jones's own
color be impaueled. To this the defend.
ant vigorously dsmurred, but finally
relented and the work Of selection con-
sumed the entire first day. Going
further, Attorney General Peters in.
trusted the States cause to the hands
Of I'D. Shaw, supplying an assistant in
the person Of Henry Croft, jr. Judge
A. II. Douglass, aided by Attorney
Settles, colored, conducted the de.
tense. The caseeTas, therefore, an I'M
usual one, but eminently proper.
Every lawyer In the trial did their full
duty, and Ed. Shaw made a particu.
larry strong speech, repelling the
charges raised by the defense of i'm
propiiety and unseemliness in laying
to the doors OF colored men what
white jurymen had refused to do.
They were placed in the box to judge
his crime as citizens OF America, and
not rs negroes.
The case was given to the jury Sat-
ur5ay afternoon, and that night at IL
O'Clock word was sent Judge DuBose
that they had agreed. The hour was
too near the Sabbath, and their report
was ordered held until the opening
Of court Monday. They came in at
$3.50 o'clock yesterday, with the result
above stated. Immediately after It's
Attorney General
Peters suggested THAT the court cele.
brate the event by taking holiday.
Judge DuBose replied that he consid-
e ed the idea a good one, but said they
we're only following the example set
them by former white juries In equal
ly as strongly proven guilt. Court
was strongly declared closed to bust
ness for the day. 1t is said the de-
ierdant's attorneys are even broke up
over this deposition OF the case, and
have moved for new trial.
Comments on the verdict were free.
Iy and laughingly made yesterday.
The explanation advanced by Judge
DuBose was no doubt the most correct
one. The colored men were probably
sincere In their impressions OF Jones'
crime, bat the conviction was not OBJ
aimed nom the evidence introduced.
The only mitigating link In the entire
,bain was that Bnford was shot
while drawing something from
his hip pocket, That some.
hing was handkerchief, which
40 used In .wiping the perspiration
md tears from his eyes.
That the jury lost golden oppor.
unity to demonstrate TO the world q
owe OF justice and right in the breasts
u the colored people, was q universe,
opinion. This moved the States attor.
,ey to suggest such course, and there
g no bitterness In his,dissppointment.
Neither OF the former juries took into
for o moment the
assault and battery feature, eleven Of
he first panel favoring twenty.one
years in the penitentiary, while the
twelfth hung out for the death penalty.
The second jury split between ten
years, twenty-one years, a life sen.
fence and hanging. Even had the
asst body held him guilty OF man.
the lowest possible war
'anted by the testimony, there would
probably have been no word Of crit
Cism uttered. 1t is great world,
md surprises are constantly being
.evealed In human nature. Should
Iones's counsel be granted new tria
or their Client, the chances are dc.
,idedly against his case being i'm
proved. II denied, the laws limit
will be oed-$50 fine and
,leven months and twenty-nine days
n the workhouse.